Apprentice Thomas Sherry to have four-year cocaine ban lifted from next month

Apprentice Thomas Sherry, who was banned from riding for four years in August 2018 after failing an in-competition drug test, has had part of his ban lifted by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board referrals committee with effect from May 1.

Sherry, who is working in Australia, was banned after traces of a metabolite of cocaine were found in a urine sample taken at Gowran Park on June 4, 2018.

When the four-year ban was imposed, Sherry was told the matter would be reviewed this year and that a partial suspension of the ban would be considered if he engaged positively with medical, employment, counselling and other matters.

The committee considered evidence from Sherry, via Skype from Australia, and also from Jennifer Pugh, the IHRB's senior medical officer. It also noted the negative test results from random samples provided, at the request of the IHRB, by Sherry to Racing New South Wales.

The committee found Sherry had complied with all conditions and engaged fully, and as a consequence decided to stay the remaining part of his suspension from next month.

Donnacha O’Brien, Billy Lee and Ronan Whelan, meanwhile, have all had one-day bans imposed on them at Dundalk on April 14, for moving off a straight line before reaching the marker poles, replaced by €150 fines.

The riders appealed against their bans on the basis that a caution rather than a ban should have been the starting point for breaching the relevant rule.

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